Accessory for trying on suits of clothing



Jan. 25, 1966 J. s. MORAN, JR 3,230,547

ACCESSORY FOR TRYING ON SUITS OF CLOTHING Filed May 19, 1964 INVENTOR.

JAMES S. MORAN JR.

United States Patent M 3,230,547 ACCESSORY FOR TRYING ON SUITS 0F CLOTHING James S. Moran, Jr., Maplewood Lane, Northford, Conn. Filed May 19, 1964, Ser. No. 368,573 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-119) The present invention relates to an accessory for a wearer in trying on suits of clothing, more particularly, to an accessory for simulating a dress shirt .and neck tie to enable a wearer to visualize how a particular suit of clothes looks with shirts and neck ties of various colors.

It frequently occurs that when a boy or man goes to a clothing store to purchase a suit of clothing, he is not dressed in .a dress shirt and neck tie. However, the contemplated suit of clothing is primarily intended for Wear with a dress shirt and neck tie. In trying on various suits of clothing, the wearer is not able to visualize a particular suit of clothing with the various types of dress shirts and colors of neck ties which he intends to wear. This is especially true when there is a dominant color in the wearers wardrobe. Thus, in many instances a suit is not purchased since the wearer is doubtful as :to how a particular combination of suit and neck tie will look, or if the suit is purchased, there may be disappointment when the suit is actually worn with a certain style of dress shirt and a certain colored neck tie.

Further, the average boy is reluctant to put on a shirt and neck tie at any time, let alone for the sole purpose of going to buy a suit. Accordingly, the purchase of a needed suit for a boy is continuously and indefinitely postponed.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel accessory which simulates a shirt and tie when worn with the jacket of a suit of clothing to enable the wearer to visualize clearly the appearance of a suit with a particular shirt and neck tie.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and disposable accessory for a wearer in trying on suits of clothing without actually wearing a shirt and neck tie.

The objects of the present invention are attained by the present invention which provides a sheet of flexible material positionable on the chest of the wearer. On the front of the shirt is depicted a shirt and neck tie so that when a jacket of a suit of clothing is put on, the exposed portion of the shirt will simulate a shirt and neck tie.

The shirt is triangular in shape with the base being positioned at the neck and the apex extending down to the waist. An adjustable neck band is attached at the neck end of the shirt and when fastened around the neck of the wearer, holds the shirt in position on the wearers chest. The collar of a dress shirt and a neck tie are printed on the outer surface of the shirt. The portion of the shirt which is exposed when the wearer has on a jacket will simulate a shirt and neck tie.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a person wearing the accessory of the present invention with one side of the jacket being held open and the other side being closed;

FIGURE 2 is .a front elevational view of the accessory of the invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a modification of the accessory with the neck band being in the flattened position.

A specific embodiment of this invention will next be described in detail with reference to the drawings wherein like reference symbols indicate the same parts throughout the various views.

3,230,547 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 The accessory of the present invention is indicated generally at 1 and comprises a front piece 2 of a sheet of flexible material. The sheet material is prefer-ably of soft krinkly paper such as that used in paper napkins, particularly in high strength napkins. As a result, the accessory would be relatively inexpensive and would be disposable. The sheet material may also comprise various flexible cloths, synthetic fabrics, and plastics which would simulate a shirt.

The front piece 2 is triangular in shape with the base thereof forming the upper or neck end 3. The maxi-mum width of the sheet is at the neck end 3 and this width is somewhat less than the distance between the armpits of the wearer as may be seen in FIGURE 1. From the neck end 3, the front piece tapers inwardly to the apex 4. The length of the front piece 2 is such that the apex 4 is at approximately the waist of the wearer so that the apex may be inserted under the trousers belt to assist in retaining the accessory in position on the wearers chest. This is shown in FIGURE 1.

The corners 5 and 6 of the neck end of the front piece are preferably rounded off so as to fit comfortably under the jacket.

Attached at the neck end of the front piece is a neck band 7 having slots 8 adjacent to the ends thereof to enable the neck band to be adjusted for different neck sizes. Other fastening means such as snaps 9 in FIGURE 3 or adhesives may be used to obtain an adjustable neck band.

As shown, the neck band is integral with the front piece so that the accessory may be formed in one piece having the shape as shown in FIGURE 3. However, the neck band may be formed separately from the front piece and then attached thereto at the neck end.

On the front surface of the front piece and adjoining portion of the neck band there is depicted a dress shirt collar 10 and a neck tie 11. While a regular collar is shown, other forms of collars such as button-down, rounded points, may be depicted if desired.

The necktie may be either a regular four-in-hand as in FIGURE 2 or a bow tie 12 as shown in FIGURE 3. Various colors, designs, and styles of neck ties would be available in the stock of accessories so that a wearer would have a wide selection from which to choose. Thus, there is a greater likelihood that the wearer would find that style and color of neck tie depicted which he intended to wear with a particular suit.

With a bow tie as in FIGURE 3, the shirt buttons 13 would also be depicted on the front piece as shown.

While in most cases the accessory will be White to simulate a white shirt, the accessory may be of other colors so as to simulate the various colors in which shirts are available.

Advertising material, such as the name of the clothing manufacturer, the store name, or the brand of clothing may be printed on the front piece, such as on the rear surface thereof or on portions of the front surface which would be covered when a jacket is worn.

When a person enters a clothing store with the intention of trying on suits of clothing but does not wear a dress shirt and neck tie, the clerk indicates the available assortment of accessories according to the present invention. The customer then selects that accessory which most closely conforms to that shirt and tie combination which he customarily wears or that he contemplates wearing with the particular color of suit he wishes to try one. The neck band of the selected accessory is fastened around the neck of the prospective purchaser at that point wherein the neck band fits comfortably around his neck. The tip or apex of the front piece of the accessory is then tucked under the belt to hold down the bottom of the accessory. After the person puts on a jacket, a portion of the front piece and neck band is exposed as will be apparent from FIGURE 1. This exposed position of the accessory will simulate a dress shirt and neck tie, as is also apparent from FIGURE 1, so as to enable the wearer to obtain a clear idea of the appearance of this particular jacket or suit with the shirt and tie combination represented on the accessory.

It will be apparent that the accessory can be used with other items of clothing such as overcoats, top coats, sweaters, various forms of outer jackets and the like.

When the wearer has finished trying on jackets, the clerk may give the accessory to the wearer as a souvenir or as a reminder of the store or brand of clothes carried in the store.

If desired, the accessory may be made on a more permanent flexible material, such as a synthetic fabric and a wide selection of accessories kept in the store as a permanent stock.

Thus it can be seen that the present accessory enables the wearer thereof to see clearly how a particular jacket or suit will appear with a particular combination of a shirt and tie without the wearer actually wearing a shirt and tie. The portion of the accessory exposed when a jacket is worn will simulate a dress shirt and neck tie. The accessory may be made to be disposable so as to be discarded after use by a wearer or may be of a more permanent construction for repeated use by a number of wearers. The novelty of this accessory will appeal particularly to small boys who, as a result, may be more cooperative when taken to try on clothes.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An accessory for a wearer in trying on suits of clothing without a dress shirt and neck tie, and comprising a triangular sheet of flexible material positionable on the chest of a wearer, said sheet having its base at the neck of the wearer with its sides being straight and tapering to a point below the waist of the wearer so that the waist end of said sheet may be inserted under the trousers belt to retain the accessory in position on the chest of the wearer without any fastener means on said sheet, said sheet having its maximum width at the neck and with said maximum width being less than the distance between the armpits of the wearer but greater than the diameter of the wearers neck, a neck band attached only at the mid-portion of the neck end of the sheet and having fastening means to secure the neck band around the neck of the wearer, and means on the front of said sheet and that portion of the neck band attached to said sheet for depicting a dress shirt collar having wings and a neck tie so that the portion of said sheet and neck band which is exposed when the wearer is wearing a jacket of a suit will simulate a dress shirt and neck tie, the junctions between the lower edges of said neck band and the neck end of said sheet being on the bottom edges of the depicted collar wings with the lower edges of said neck band being continuations of the bottom edges of the respective depicted collar wings, the intersecting lower edges of the neck band and the neck end of said sheet meeting at angles to form triangular spaces between the neck band and the sheet neck end on both sides of the neck band connection with said sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 58,561 10/1866 Woods 2119 364,891 6/1887 Bragdon 2-119 1,758,766 5/1930 Staples 2127 2,760,200 8/ 1956 Shamyer 249 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,286,867 1/1962 France.

15,572 1895 Great Britain. 19,342 1901 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

R. J. SCANLAN, Assistant Examiner. 

